A toddler aged two lost his life in a devastating incident when he was struck by a relative friend reversing into her property’s entrance, an inquest was told.

Rufus Davies sustained fatal brain damage in the crash in the Tidcombe area close to Marlborough, Wiltshire, in May 2025.

The Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court was informed that Rufus was accompanying his relatives at a friend’s residence when the tragedy occurred.

The family had positioned their vehicle on the access road and were expecting the arrival of their companion, Tamsin Hayward.

Rufus’s mother, Olivia Davies, released him from the vehicle as Mrs Hayward was manoeuvring onto the approach.

In a statement, Mrs Davies recalled informing Rufus that Tamsin had arrived, noting how thrilled he was to see her and how he squirmed to exit the car. She described opening the driver’s door and assisting him down, after which he darted behind the vehicle. She assumed Tamsin would park facing forward beside their car, believing sufficient time would elapse between Rufus touching the ground and her completing the manoeuvre. However, Tamsin opted to reverse into the space instead. As Mrs Davies reached for her mobile, water bottle and cardigan from the passenger side and stepped out through the driver’s door, her daughter alerted her that Rufus had been struck by Tamsin’s vehicle. She then rushed to the rear of their car and discovered Rufus on the ground.

Upon realising she had collided with the child, Mrs Hayward left the vehicle and commenced cardiopulmonary resuscitation while awaiting emergency responders.

Despite these efforts, he could not be saved and was pronounced deceased at the location.

In her own written account, Mrs Hayward explained that she routinely reverses her Porsche Macan into the parking area. She described driving at a cautious pace through the gateway and onto the approach. She noted that Olivia and her daughter were positioned on the grass beside their vehicle on the driver’s side. She expressed her delight at seeing them and acknowledged them with a wave and greeting as her window was open. Although she was aware Rufus would also be present that day, she did not observe him positioned with Olivia and her daughter on the driver’s side or anywhere visible on the approach. She drove forward onto the access road, navigating anti-clockwise around a circular grassy feature. She stated that apart from Olivia and her daughter, the approach was clear with no other individuals present. She travelled roughly halfway around the feature before stopping to reverse into her customary parking position. She described checking her right wing mirror and rear view mirror as she was approximately midway into the space when she detected the vehicle passing over something on the surface. The impact occurred on the rear passenger side of the car. Upon leaving the vehicle, she observed a young child on the gravel. She immediately understood the seriousness and recognised that Rufus must have been following behind while she was reversing. She then witnessed Olivia sprinting toward the rear of their vehicle with a horrified expression. She dialled 999 without delay.

Pc Alexander Way, a collision specialist, confirmed no mechanical issues were identified with the vehicle and Mrs Hayward returned negative results for both alcohol and drugs. He noted that the matter did not satisfy the Crown Prosecution Service criteria for prosecution under road traffic legislation, as the setting is not classified as a public highway and the manner of driving does not constitute careless driving under existing legal precedent. He characterised the occurrence as profoundly tragic with catastrophic consequences.

A post-mortem examination established that Rufus succumbed to diffuse traumatic head trauma resulting from contact with a motor vehicle.

Ian Singleton, the area coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, returned a verdict of misadventure.